Under the leadership of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and with Lisa Nandy reappointed as Culture Secretary, state pensioners who are blind or severely visually impaired are entitled to a 50% discount on their TV Licence. This concession remains aligned with existing BBC rules and is expected to continue without change during Mr Burnham’s premiership.
Those eligible for the discount must be registered as blind or severely sight impaired and live in a household where the TV Licence is held in their name. If the licence is currently registered under someone else’s name, it must be transferred to the individual who qualifies for the concession.
The TV Licensing authority specifies that a blind concession licence costs £90 for colour televisions and £30.25 for black and white ones. Applicants need to supply one of several accepted forms of certification to prove their status. These documents include a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI), a BD8 Certificate, official documentation from a Local Authority confirming registration as blind, a certificate from an ophthalmologist, HMRC tax coding notice confirming receipt of Blind Person’s Allowance, or appropriate documentation for residents of the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
TV Licensing emphasises that if someone in the household is blind, regardless of age, the concession can be applied for. Individuals already holding a TV Licence under a different name will need to submit a first-time blind application to transfer the licence accordingly, providing their existing licence number during the process.
It is important to note that those who are partially sighted or sight impaired do not qualify for the 50% blind concession.
These measures reflect ongoing commitments by the government to support vulnerable individuals with visual impairments, ensuring they can continue to access television services at reduced costs.